Venus Unveils 2 Tilt-Shift Macro Lenses

2024.12.17

Continuing a track of innovation with perspective control lenses, Venus Optics, makers of Laowa lenses just announced two new Tilt-Shift lenses with larger-than-Full-Frame imaging circles. Impressively, these new units are true macro lenses as well!

These new Tilt-Shift lenses have the same design with two different focal-lengths available for no less than five lens mounts! One is the Laowa 55mm F/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1X Macro and the other model is the Laowa 100mm F/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1X Macro lens. Both offer the same bright F/2.8 maximum aperture. The 55mm model focuses down to 27cm while the 100mm achieves the same 1X magnification at 32cm.

As shown in the above photos, they are virtually identical externally. The 55mm is just 5mm longer and slightly heavier at 1345g, compared to 1215g. Having the same 85mm diameter, both accept common 77mm screw-on filters and have a shallow lens hood. These are completely manual lenses, requiring both aperture and focus, plus tilt and shift to be set via mechanical controls.

©2024 Kiva Huang - Image Courtesy of Venus Optics

Tilt-Shift lenses need a large imaging circle to accommodate movements and so these lenses are also made for Medium-Format. All Full-Frame versions have a ±12mm shift range and can tilt ±10°. The Medium-Format lenses are confined to ±10mm shift range and can tilt ±8°. These are available in Fujifilm GFX mounts only. Otherwise, Venus Optics made variants for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Leica L mounts. Full details are available at these pages:

• Venus Laowa 55mm F/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1X Macro: Sony E - Nikon Z - Canon RF - Leica L - Fujifilm G
• Venus Laowa 100mm F/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1X Macro: Sony E - Nikon Z - Canon RF - Leica L - Fujifilm G

Tilt Shift Lenses with longer focal-lengths are commonly used for product photography. With a 1X magnification, these two offerings from Venus Optics expand the potential of mounts with no first-party tilt-shift models.

©2024 Feng Niao - Image Courtesy of Venus Optics

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